September 13, 2012 3:04 pm

The failure of a new-technology General Electric engine Tuesday in Shanghai has prompted a wider investigation into the engine’s durability by its maker.

The failure is the second this summer in new GE engines powering both the new Boeing 747-8 and the 787 Dreamliner. The GE engine is the sole choice on the 747. On the 787, airlines can choose either the GE or a Rolls Royce engine.A GEnx-2B engine on a 747-8

The GE engine on an Air Bridge Cargo 747-8 Freighter failed as the aircraft was taking off from Shanghai Tuesday.

A similar GE engine on a Boeing 787 being tested on the ground in Charleston, S.C. shed parts and started a grass fire on the airport earlier this summer.

In both cases, the engines’ low pressure turbines were damaged. The engine in the China incident is being shipped back to the U.S. for dismantling and study.

The GEnx engines that power the 747-8 and 787 are designed to be both more fuel efficient and quieter than previous generation engines.

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